The Rising of the Dark Lord
by Abysmal A
Summary: Tom Riddle's childhood and Lord Voldermorts birth
1. A bit of puzlement

The Rising of Lord Voldermort  
Written by Crystal  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
A bit of puzzlement  
  
Tom reluctantly woke up to the shrill screaming of the other boys. He knew if he wasn't out of bed shortly, the guys would have an early start to their favorite game, Tom-bashing.  
Tom couldn't remember having done anything to cause this, unless being himself counted. As corny as it sounds, he had always been different, and different at the Orphanage was not a good thing.  
He had never fought, teased, or insulted anyone. To be honest, he was skinny and weak, which made him an easy target for a beating. But that wasn't why he was different. There were plenty of puny boys at the Orphanage. No, his difference was one that could not exactly be put into words. There was just something about him…  
Dashing out of bed into the bathroom, Tom grabbed his clothes and locked the door. If he could make it into the bathroom first, and not have to wait in line, he could usually avoid being teased for a little while, at least. Once he had washed up and changed he went back to his bed and grabbed the book he was reading from his nightstand and went outside.  
Tom usually sat under the big redwood, but he had wised up. The spot under the redwood was in plain view. Usually, if the boys couldn't see him, they wouldn't think about him. He began to read under a different tree and got quite into his book when the breakfast bell rang.  
He hurried in so he could get a place away from everyone else. No use sitting with them. Mail was also given out during breakfast. Almost every boy received something, from a pen pal or a distant relative, except Tom. Although this didn't really bother him, it only gave the guys more ammunition.  
Today, however, he did receive a letter. Even the Headmaster sounded a bit surprised as he read off Tom's name. The boys quickly regained their power of speech, however.  
"Somebody finally figured out you exist, huh Tom?" Paul taunted. Paul, a short fat boy, who received letters every day, and sweets he didn't need every week from some ancient great-aunt, hated Tom's guts.  
"Nah, probably just junk mail. Maybe he's won a million dollars!" retorted Jon. Out of all the boys, Jon was the worst. Tall and muscular, he had no problem overpowering Tom.  
Tom practically skipped to the Headmaster. However, he was quickly disappointed by what the Headmaster had to say.  
"You can't have the letter until you come up to my office. We need to discuss something important," Headmaster Hamingo said sternly. With a name like Hamingo you wouldn't take him very seriously, that is, until you saw him. He was over six feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. He wasn't fat, only muscular. Just looking at him struck fear into the hearts of many.  
Disappointed, Tom went back to his breakfast. Paul and Jon, being who they were, said a few choice comments, but Tom was too lost in thought to hear them.  
"What could he possibly need to talk to me about?" Tom wondered. He hadn't done anything wrong, and the Headmaster couldn't have read his letter. Never mind being illegal, Tom saw it was still sealed.  
Tom bolted down his breakfast so he could get to Hamingo's office right away, all the time wondering who could have sent him the letter with the shimmery green writing…   
  



	2. The Letter

Chapter 2  
The Letter  
  
Tom was both excited and worried about his upcoming visit with Headmaster Hamingo. He had just realized that Hamingo had never said he wanted to talk about the letter, he just said he had something he wanted to discuss. Maybe he wouldn't give him the letter at all! However, Tom knew this was ridiculous; Hamingo had always favored Tom a bit. Often he called Tom into his office to give him a treat or let him borrow a book.  
After gathering up the only bit of courage he had, Tom knocked softly on the door.  
"Come in," a voice boomed. Well, actually it didn't boom, it wasn't even loud. It just seemed like that to Tom.  
"Er, sir?" said the less than brave Tom, "you asked me to come down to your office to get my letter."  
"Ah, Tom Riddle." mused Hamingo. Finally the Headmaster couldn't stand it anymore; he broke into a huge grin. "Always knew you had it in you, knew you were special. Told myself..."  
"Er, sir?" interrupted Tom.  
"Oh! You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" cried the Headmaster as Tom shook his head. "Well, my boy, this'll come as a bit of a shock to you, I daresay, but Tom, you're a wizard!"  
"Um, excuse me?"   
"Yeah, a wizard. On your mum's side. Your father was a Muggle, a non-magic person. That's why he won't have anything to do with you. But that doesn't matter, you're a wizard! Besides he was always a brainless git..."  
"Oh," said Tom, looking bewildered.  
"Reason I'm so excited is that you've been excepted into Hogwarts... Oh dear, I guess I'd just better give you the letter." exclaimed Hamingo.  
"Tom snatched the letter, and looked at the green ink address:  
Mr. T. Riddle  
Dorm 13  
Rakeville Orphanage for Boys  
Rakeville  
Having read that he tore open the letter and read:  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZADRY  
  
Headmaster: Professor Dippet  
(Order of Merlin, Second Class)  
  
Dear Mr. Riddle,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,  
Albus Dumbledore  
Deputy Headmaster  
  
"Owl?" questioned Tom.  
"Oh, no need to worry about that. I already sent it. Kind of like the mail, only using an owl." clarified Hamingo. "We'll get your supplies tomorrow. I know you must be a bit confused so I have set aside these books for you to read. You may stay in my office and read them. Oh, and Tom," said Hamingo.  
"Yeah," replied a bewildered Tom.  
"Don't go telling everyone else. Then they'll want to be wizards too."  
"Ok," chuckled Tom.  



	3. Supplies and Amazement

A/N Since I'm a bit new to this, I don't know how to make new paragraphs yet. It just doesn't seem to work on my computer. Sorry. Oh, and by the way, I don't own a bit of these characters, they belong to a rather wealthy woman (J.K Rowling) and I'm insanely jealous of her.  
  
Chapter 3  
Supplies and Amazement  
  
Headmaster Hamingo gently woke Tom up from the chair he had fallen asleep in the night before.  
"What? Oh, Headmaster, I just had the crazies dream! I found out I was a wizard, and you..." Tom trailed off, "Was that a dream?"  
"No, Tom, that was not a dream. As a matter of fact, we're going to get your school supplies today at Diagon Alley."  
"Diagon Alley?"  
"This is going to be a long day..." Hamingo smiled and continued, "Diagon Alley is a wizarding town where you can buy wizard supplies. You know, like cauldrons, potions, broomsticks and the like."  
"Oh, I get it," replied Tom, even though he didn't.  
Hamingo saw the confused look on his face and tried a different explanation, "It's like a big mall, just not in the same building."  
Tom's eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it. I really do!"  
"Well, now that you understand where you're going, I only have to explain how."  
"Can't we just take the bus or something?"  
"A bus?!" Hamingo chuckled. "Hardly! No, we'll take floo powder. Come over here to the fireplace."  
"Will it hurt?" Tom asked, worried.  
"Oh, no! Here, you'll go first. Take some powder, toss it in the fireplace, say 'Diagon Alley', and walk through the grate on the other side. Trust me!" he added, after seeing the doubt on Tom's face.  
"Well, here goes nothing," Tom thought as he grabbed a bit of powder. He threw it in the fireplace, shouted Diagon Alley, and suddenly found himself in another town.  
Headmaster Hamingo soon followed him and pulled out Tom's supplies list. "Well, you'll need some robes and such, an awful lot of books, and a few cauldrons and the like."  
"But sir, I don't have any money! I can't afford a pack of gum, let alone a slew of books!" cried Tom, quite upset.  
"Don't be stupid boy! Do you honestly think you're mother left you nothing?" he continued before Tom could respond. "Of course not. But we'll have to stop at Gringotts first. Gringotts is a wizarding bank," he said, answering Tom's question before he could even ask.  
They walked a ways before they arrived at a huge stone building.  
"This," Hamingo said with emphasis, "this is Gringotts."  
Tom just stood there with his mouth wide open, totally speechless.  
"Close your mouth boy." scolded Hamingo. "You look like a fish."  
Tom closed his mouth quickly, still astounded by what he saw.  
"Vault 13 please. Here's the key." Hamingo said as he handed the key to a...  
"Gobblin?!?!" Tom asked, shocked.  
The Goblin glared at him. "Of course I'm a goblin, you fool boy. Do I look like a pansy to you?"  
Tom, realizing that he should have showed more respect said, "Yes, I mean no. It's just that.... I've never seen a goblin."  
"Well, whoopee. What do you want a parade as well?"  
"Hey, there is no reason to yell at me. I was just...."  
"Here we are." Hamingo interrupted, just in time to save Tom from a fight. The goblin looked about ready to attack, and you never want to be attacked by a goblin. "Vault 13." Hamingo proceeded with scooping some odd coins into a large bag.  
After leaving Gringotts, Hamingo said, "It's best if you don't talk to goblins. They're a bit, er, sensitive."  
"That's a bit of an understatement." Tom muttered.  
"Shall we get your robes now?"  
After a rather long fitting at the robe shop, shopping at the books store, and buying Tom's other supplies, Hamingo asked, "Do you want a pet?"  
"A pet? That would be great!" cried Tom, as they stepped into a creature-filled shop. After careful consideration, he chose a rather large green snake. For a minute, Tom thought he heard the snake telling him what a great snake he was, but Tom shock that thought right out of his head. "Snakes don't talk you ninny," he scolded himself.  
"Er, Tom," Hamingo said, breaking into Tom's train of thought, "I have to stop in Knockturn Alley, so why don't you go across the street and get yourself something to eat. I gave you a bit of money before."  
"Allright." Tom agreed, all the while thinking about how to follow Hamingo to Knockturn Alley without being seen. Tom wanted to see more magic, and he assumed Knockturn would have it!  



	4. Sir William's and Other Nonsence

A/N Well, I got reviews! Yippee! I didn't think anybody would read my story. Anyways, all this stuff STILL belongs to J.K. Rowling, and I am STILL jealous of her.  
  
Chapter 4  
Sir William's and other Nonsense  
  
Tom followed Hamingo into Knockturn Alle, but stopped when he got to a rather dingy-looking bookstore. Being that Tom was quite a bookworm, he went in. While looking at the covers and some gruesome cover pictures on the books, he found a book that looked tame (compared to all the others). The title was "Basic Dark Arts: A Self-Study Book". "Sounds interesting." he thought. He paid for it quickly, and rushed back to where he was supposed to be having something to eat. Tom hid the book under his cloak. "Just in time," Tom thought, "here comes Hamingo."  
"Well boy, ready to go back?" He realized whom he was talking to. "Well, of course you're not ready to go back, but we have to. Take these bags and follow me."  
Tom hurried behind them, as they went back home the same way they came.  
"Well Tom, I have a trunk with a lock you may keep your books in. Just make sure you don't let everyone see what's in there!"  
"Of course not, sir. I wouldn't dream of it." Tom replied as he dragged his new trunk out of Hamingo's office and into Dorm 13.  
When the breakfast bell rang the next morning, Tom stayed behind, which caused him a lot of extra teasing. For him, however, it was well worth it. For an hour and a half, Tom was able to read his new school books in peace.  
That didn't last long. As soon as breakfast was over, all the boys came rushing back into the room. A few minutes later the Headmaster came into their dorm and shooed everyone out of the room, except Tom. Seeing Tom's frustration at not being able to read his schoolbooks, he said, "Give me those. I'll fix them up."  
Tom nervously handed them over, wondering exactly how he was going to "fix them up" but he didn't have to worry. Tom watched as Hamingo pulled out his wand and said some unintelligible words directed toward the book, smiled, and handed the book back to Tom. "There," he said, "now you can read it all you want, and in front of who you want."  
Tom looked back at the book, which still said "The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1" and he almost laughed in Hamingo's face. "The book hasn't changed," he said rudely.  
"Don't be stupid boy." Hamingo responded, crossly. "Maybe it doesn't look any different to you, but whoever sees it will see a book on the mating patterns of the bald eagle. As a matter of fact, if you'll just open your trunk, I can do that to all of your books at once."  
"Are you sure it worked?" questioned Tom. "I still see a magic book."  
"Of course it worked. You don't trust me?"  
"Well, I suppose..."  
And before he had even finished his sentence, Hamingo had done the same thing to all the rest of his books. (Or so he said, Tom still couldn't see any change.) Luckily for Tom, he had hidden his Darks Arts book on the bottom. He didn't know if it was a bad book to read, but he didn't want to find out the hard way. So he grabbed a few of his books (he left the darks arts one because he wasn't sure Hamingo couldn't see the real cover) and headed outside.  
As soon as he stepped out of the Dorm, he saw Jon and Paul, looking like Christmas had come early.  
"We know where you're going to school," taunted Jon.  
"Yeah, we know." echoed Paul, who never seemed to think for himself.  
"You, you do?" stammered Tom.  
"That's right, Tommy-boy, we know."  
Tom was a bit frantic (and angry, he hated being called Tommy-boy). He didn't think he had told anyone, and he doubted Hamingo would have told. After all, Hamingo himself had told Tom to keep his mouth shut.  
"Yeah Tommy-boy. We found out that you're going to Sir William's Center for the academically challenged. We know what that means." taunted Jon.  
"It means your stupid!" finished Paul.  
Relief washed over Tom.  
"So, how does it feel to be a moron?"  
Tom, a great actor, faked a few tears and said, "No one was supposed to know about that." Then he ran off, trying not to bust out laughing. "Nice one, Hamingo." Tom thought to himself. "And I can't believe they fell for it. Honestly, Sir William's Center for the academically challenged! Those morons will believe anything."  



	5. Confusion

Chapter 5  
Confusion  
  
Tom was counting down the days until September 1. He had studied his schoolbooks until he had everything almost memorized. This made hexing Jon and Paul very tempting, but Hamingo had said it could get you expelled. Tom didn't want to be expelled before he even began, so he held off on the hexing.  
Tom looked at his wand, holly and phoenix feather, ten inches. Mr. Ollivander, who Tom had found a bet, er, unusual, told him he had a very powerful wand. However, Tom brushed off that remark. "Probably says that to everyone." he thought.  
Soon (although not soon enough for Tom) August 31 came, and Tom began to pack his trunk. Putting his unopened Dark Arts book on the bottom, (he still wasn't sure that Hamingo couldn't see through the spell) he was wondering why he felt the need to hide it. "Probably just because I bought it in that dingy store." Tom thought.  
Then Tom packed his cloaks, hiding is wand in a secret pocket built into the trunk. And it was a good thing he did because...  
"Are you packing for that idiot school?" Jon asked. Tom had to restrain himself from hexing Jon. "What's this?" Jon asked him, pulling out one of Tom's cloaks, and putting it on. "Stupid thing. This way you can look as stupid as you are, huh Tom?" teased Jon. Seeing that he wasn't getting a reaction (Tom was thinking about the best hex he could use on Jon) he left, contenting himself with calling Tom and idiot again.  
That night Tom couldn't sleep. After he had finished reading "Hogwarts, A History" (no easy task!) he was wondering which house he'd be in. There was no way he'd be in Gryffindor; he was a chicken who never fought back. Hufflepuff was also out, he wasn't exactly patient, and he didn't suppose he was very loyal. That left either Ravenclaw or Slytherin for his house. He supposed he could be in either.  
Tom was awakened by his alarm clock. "Well," he thought, "at least I got SOME sleep!" He hurried to Hamingo's office. When he got there, he found a note:  
  
Tom,  
Sorry, I was called away. Here's your breakfast. When you're done eating take your trunk and use the fireplace to get to King's Cross. You ticket is on the table. Remember; go to platform 9 and 3/4. Have a great year, and write if you get a chance.  
Headmaster Hamingo  
  
Well, Tom followed the directions in the not. He had breakfast, took his ticket, and went to King's Cross using the fireplace. NOW he was confused. Platform 9 was here, and Platform 10 was next, but where was 9 and 3/4? He headed over to the wall and leaned his trunk on it. Half of his trunk disappeared! So he shoved it the rest of the way, following it right through the wall! He looked at the sign above him, and sure enough, it read Platform 9 and 3/4!  



	6. Hogwarts Express

Chapter 6  
Hogwarts Express  
  
One problem solved, Tom dragged his trunk up and into the train. Seeing as he didn't have any friends, he wasn't exactly sure where to sit. He settled on an empty car and sat down, hoping someone would join him.  
He wasn't disappointed. A tall skinny boy asked him if he could join Tom. Seeing as Tom was sitting alone and had no friends, he quickly agreed.  
"I'm Eric," said Eric.  
"I'm Tom, a first year," said Tom  
"Oh, I'm a first year too. What house are you hoping for?"  
"I don't really know. Ravenclaw or Slytherin, I suppose."  
Eric looked at Tom. "Slytherin, really? Do you have a family history of that house? Usually that's the only reason somebody wants to be in it."  
"I don't know."  
"How can you not know? Were either of your parents in Slytherin?"  
"My mum's dead, and my father is just a regular guy who hates me."  
Eric looked embarrassed. "So your a half-blood then?" he asked, trying to start up the conversation again.  
"A what?"  
"A half-blood. One parent's a wizard or witch, the other is a Muggle. A Muggle is a non-magic person."  
"I suppose I am." replied Tom.  
"Well, it could be worse, you could be a Mudblood." Eric quickly explained, "A Mudblood is when both parents are Muggles."  
"Is that bad?" Tom asked.  
"Depends who you ask." Eric responded, ending the subject.  
"So what house do you want to be in?" Tom asked, after an awkward pause.  
"Well, family history says I should want Hufflepuff, but any house except that one would be allright for me. I heard Hufflepuffs are a bunch of idiots.  
Perfect for me." Tom said sadly. "I don't know how to do anything."  
"Oh, you'll learn fast." Eric responded, reassuringly.  
A tall young boy with messy black hair came in and asked if he could join them.  
"Sure, why not?" Tom and Eric said at the same time, causing the boys to break out laughing.  
"I'm James Potter."  
"I'm Tom, and this is Eric," said Tom.  
"James Potter..." Eric mused. "Aren't you the one whose parents..."  
"Yes." James replied shortly, ending the topic. Tom figured he could ask Eric about this later.  
They talked for a while, and both James and Eric laughed as Tom tried his first every-flavor bean (glue). Soon (too soon for Tom, who was REALLY nervous) the train arrived and came to a stop at Hogwarts.  



End file.
